Wherever I'm With You
by blamtina cohevanderson
Summary: Tina visits the New York gang for spring break. Will she ever want to return to Brown after a week with her best friends in the city that never sleeps? Group friendship and Sam/Tina romance. I recommend listening to the songs in the story as you read them. NOTE: On 4/18/14, added a new section to the end of Chapter 4. Everything after the final line break is new.
1. Ain't It Fun

Chapter 1 – Aint' it Fun?

"Alright, so which one of you is going to tell Artie?" Rachel demands, suspiciously eyeing the goateed man with whom she is sharing custody of a subway pole.

"Tell him what?" Sam asks, not-so-subtly checking out a leggy blond seated nearby.

"That we're taking his dorm room out of rotation for our Tuesday night family dinners. I mean, a Broadway star cannot afford to be squished with five other people onto a broken IKEA futon eating Ramen noodles. My masseuse is going to need an extra half hour to work this kink out of my back and Rupert is going to kill me if my costumes don't fit after all those carbs!" Mercedes and Kurt roll their eyes at Rachel's typical diva behavior.

"It's not that bad! I think there's something kind of charming about it. We all just skipped right over the dorm lifestyle, so I actually like getting a glimpse of the true college experience," Kurt replies.

"And it reminds me of my Dalton days," Blaine chimes in, exchanging a glance and smile with Kurt, "you know, minus the beer pong and the girls in leggings and Ugg boots."

"Yeah, Rachel, I like visiting Artie's dorm too. It keeps us rising stars humble and grounded," Mercedes pipes up as the subway car jolts to a stop. "Alright, this is us. See you boys tomorrow on our three-way Wednesday evening Skype call with Tina?"

"Wouldn't miss it!" Blaine calls out. Rachel, Mercedes and Sam exchange quick hugs and cheek kisses with Kurt and Blaine as they exit the subway car.

As the car begins to move, Kurt says "She's exasperating, but she's right, you know. We should just host every week. We're the best cooks and have the most comfortable and well-decorated apartment."

"Do you really have time to host a dinner for six every single week in between wedding planning, NYADA classes, your internship and working at the diner?" Blaine asks.

Kurt sighs. "No, I don't _have_ the time, but I'm willing to _make_ the time for them. They're the best friends I've ever had. We've been through so much together, and I love that we've managed to create all these traditions that keep us close even when our lives are going in separate directions. When Rachel and Santana got into their ridiculous, melodramatic catfight over Funny Girl, I felt like my family was being torn apart. I've lost enough people in my life, and I'll do anything I can to keep the ones I still have close."

Blaine looks wistfully into Kurt's eyes and pulls him into an embrace. Refreshingly, and unlike their experiences in Lima, no one around them seems to bat an eye at their public display of affection. "I love you so much," Blaine whispers as he kisses Kurt tenderly.

* * *

The following night, Rachel, Sam, Mercedes and Artie gather around Rachel's laptop in the loft. The left side of their screen shows a typically dapper Blaine and Kurt while the right side displays a shockingly sexy, smoky-eyed, wavy-haired Tina.

"Girl, you look amazing!" Mercedes gushes as Tina giggles back shyly.

"Thanks! I just came from a sorority happy hour and I have a date in half an hour."

Blaine fakes a stern, fatherly voice, "You know all dates need to be approved by me first, Miss Cohen-Chang. And where is the other half of that shirt?"

Sam joins in on Blaine's joke with a series of rapid-fire questions. "Yeah, who is this guy, how'd you meet him, where's he from, what impressions can he do?"

Rachel scoffs at the boys and coos, "More importantly, Tina, what does he look like? Send us a link to his Instagram!"

Tina blushes. "You guys! I love how protective you are but you don't need to worry about me. He's a great guy – pre-med, plays lacrosse, does sketch comedy, volunteers at the children's hospital. And he's gorgeous; his abs might even be better than Mike's!"

Kurt feigns outrage. "Blasphemy! Anyway, Tina, you'll be happy to know that we're all doing great too. Rachel's Broadway debut is upon us, Mercedes' album sales are picking up, Blaine and I are learning a ton at NYADA and making progress with wedding plans, Artie's first student film is in post-production, and Sam just booked another underwear campaign!"

Tina replies with just the slightest hint of wistfulness, "I'm so happy for you guys! It's just crazy to think how successful all of our friends are right after graduating. I guess McKinley is a better school than we ever gave it credit for."

Artie senses a hint of something amiss in his oldest friend's voice and tries to break the tension. "So, what else is going on with you girl?"

"Oh you know, everything is great. I'm getting all A's, I'm playing my dream role of Kim in the student production of Miss Saigon, the boys are so cute, I've made tons of new friends." Tina pauses and glances at something off screen. "Actually, I'd better get going, my roommate needs my help with something. I miss you guys!"

Tina disconnects abruptly, and the screen goes black before her friends have a chance to say goodbye.

* * *

Tina sits alone in her dark dorm room. Her hair and make-up are impeccable and she's wearing a cleavage-bearing black blouse, but the parts of her body that were out of view of the webcam are adorned in ratty pajama pants and slippers. She glances over at her bed covered in textbooks and scattered papers and bursts into tears as "Ain't it Fun" by Paramore begins to blare from the dorm hallway.

She wipes her tears defiantly, tosses her hair into a messy bun, removes her make-up, and changes into a baggy, faded t-shirt while singing along.

_I don't mind  
Letting you down easy but just give it time  
If it don't hurt now but just wait, just wait a while_

Tina looks longingly out the open dorm door into the hallway where students are partying.

_You're not the big fish in the pond no more  
You are what they're feeding on_

She resumes her regular hunched over position at her desk, staring so hard at her textbook that the words begin to blur. She glances up mournfully at photos of happier days from high school adorning her desk.

_So what are you gonna do  
When the world don't orbit around you?  
So what are you gonna do  
When the world don't orbit around you?_

She thinks back to earlier today, as she walked alone on campus through a sea of students seemingly having the time of their lives.

_Ain't it fun?  
Living in the real world  
Ain't it good?  
Being all alone_

At her first class of the day, the T.A. had handed back their midterms face down. As she lifted the corner to peek at the other side of the paper, a giant red "C" glared back at her.

_Where you're from,  
You might be the one who's running things_

_Where you could ring anybody's bell and get what you want  
_

After class, Tina had stopped by the student activities office to check the cast list for Miss Saigon. She scanned the list, her own name nowhere to be found. Instead, Kim would be played by a blond-haired, blue eyed Texan girl named Rebecca Cherry.

_See it's easy to ignore trouble  
When you're living in your bubble_

On her way home for lunch, a cute boy had smiled in Tina's direction. She smiled back, but was dismayed when he burst into laughter as he passed her. As she turned around, she finally realized that a long tail of toilet paper was trailing out of the back of her skirt. She pulled it out, crumpled it in a ball and threw it in the nearest trash bin, hanging her head in embarrassment.

_So what are you gonna do  
When the world don't orbit around you?  
So what are you gonna do  
When nobody wants to fool with you?_

At her dorm cafeteria, Tina scanned the room for an open space at a table, saw none that looked welcoming, and brought her lunch up to her empty dorm room to eat alone.

_Ain't it fun?  
Living in the real world  
Ain't it good?  
Being all alone_

The reflection on her crappy day and the energy of the song bring Tina to her breaking point. She tears down posters from her dorm walls, throws away flyers for extracurricular activities, rips up her poorly graded test, and begins to trash her entire room.

_Ain't it good to be on your own?  
Ain't it fun, you can't count on no one  
Ain't it good to be on your own?  
Ain't it fun, you can't count on no one  
Ain't it fun?  
Living in the real world_

Tina imagines herself back in the classroom, campus, hallway and cafeteria moments from earlier in the day. In each instance, she had been on the verge of tears. In her memory, the nameless, faceless people around her mouth along to the words of the song as they go about their business. It's like they're taunting her without even doing her the courtesy of noticing her existence.

_Don't go crying to your mama  
Cause you're on your own in the real world  
Don't go crying to your mama  
Cause you're on your own in the real world_

_Don't go crying to your mama  
Cause you're on your own in the real world  
Don't go crying to your mama  
Cause you're on your own in the real world_

Tina wonders why her friends have acclimated so easily to life after high school while she's regressed back to feeling like the shy, angry girl she was four years ago. If she's not careful, she'll start stuttering again and dressing in all black. At least then she can tell herself that she's pushing people away instead of facing the reality that no one seems to want to get to know her. So far, college has been like all the worst parts of high school, but on a grander scale. She's supposed to be free and living life to the fullest like all her friends in New York. All her friends in New York. All her friends. They all have each other, and she has no one.

She begins to imagine what this song would mean to them right now. She knows the chorus is meant to be sarcastic, but she can picture the words actually being literal to her old glee club friends who have absolutely nothing holding them back from their dreams. In Tina's mind, Rachel, Sam, Mercedes and Artie are dancing goofily while Rachel sings elatedly. Blaine and Kurt work excitedly on wedding plans and everyone joins in for the riffs.

_Ain't it fun? Ain't it fun? Baby, now you're one of us  
Ain't it fun? Ain't it fun? Ain't it fun?_

_Ain't it fun?  
Living in the real world  
Ain't it good? Ain't it good?  
Being all alone_

_Ain't it fun?  
Living in the real world (Cause the world don't orbit around you)  
Ain't it good? Ain't it good?  
Being all alone_

_Don't go crying to your mama (To your mama)  
Cause you're on your own in the real world (Don't go crying)  
Don't go crying to your mama (To your mama)  
Cause you're on your own in the real world  
Don't go crying to your mama  
Cause you're on your own in the real world (This is the real world)  
Don't go crying to your mama  
'Cause you're on your own in the real world (This is the real world, this is the real world)  
Don't go crying to your mama (Don't go crying)  
'Cause you're on your own in the real world  
Don't go crying to your mama_

_'Cause you're on your own in the real world_

Tina sits at her desk, wiping the tears from her eyes as she glances at her calendar. She joins back in on the last lines of the song playing in the hallway.

_Don't go crying (Don't you go, don't you go crying)  
Don't go crying (You're on your own)  
Don't go crying (Don't go crying to your mother)  
Don't go crying_

Finally, a smile graces Tina's face again. She gets up from her desk and hops into bed, ready for her first good night's sleep in months. As she shuts her eyes, the last thing she sees are the words on her computer screen, the words that will get her through the next two weeks:

Confirmed:

Tina Cohen-Chang

Flight 292

March 22, 2014

Providence, RI (PVD) to New York, NY (JFK)


	2. Everything Else

Chapter 2 – Everything Else

"I cannot believe you have your own limo, Rachel! This is insane!" Tina gushes as her glamorous friend hops out of the car to greet her at the airport.

"Isn't it amazing? Tina, this is my driver, Dimitri. Now hand him your bag and give me a hug!"

Rachel's embrace is so warm and familiar that Tina feels like she's back in her own body for the first time in ages. They pull back so that they're still hugging but can look at each other's faces. Although Rachel is usually wrapped up in her own drama, she is an astute enough friend to sense that something is off.

"How have you been, Tina?" The words are so sincere that Tina has to fight every urge in her body that wants to break down in tears and let out all the pain she's been dealing with since the school year began. She doesn't want to ruin the mood of what's supposed to be a great week. Besides, her problems with a cruel roommate and difficult classes would seem so petty to someone who has been successfully juggling a starring role on Broadway, the most intensive performing arts school in the country, and a part time waitressing job.

"I'm good, really good. I'm just so excited to be back in New York! I haven't been here since our first nationals. I can't wait to see the city and see what you guys all have been up to," Tina says as she slides into the backseat of the car next to Rachel.

"Well good, because we have a very full week planned for you!" Tina's eyes widen as Rachel pulls out a color coded schedule of events. "This took a lot of logistical planning because we each want a chance to show you what we've been up to. It's going to be like Bring Your Tina to Work Week! Of course, we had to start off on a high note, so today you're coming with me to rehearsal. Tomorrow's Sunday so we'll all just hang out together. Monday you're going to spend the day at NYADA – a dance class with Blaine, acting with Kurt, and singing with me. Mercedes is taking you to some promotional events for her record on Tuesday. Artie has you on Wednesday. I know he's taking you to classes but he also said something about a role for you in his friend's film project. You're with Sam on Thursday, but I honestly don't know what that's going to entail. He doesn't have any modeling gigs lined up this week so usually he's either on the couch or working out. You can probably convince him to do some sightseeing if you want. And we have a couple of big surprises for you for Friday and next Saturday."

Tina chuckles. This is going to be exactly what she needs: quality time with each of her closest friends, immersed in the arts. Her only fear is that by the end of the week, she won't be able to muster the strength to set foot on her flight back to Brown.

* * *

Tina sits quietly in the theater, an audience of one for Rachel's awe-inspiring rehearsal. As she listens to Rachel belt out "Don't Rain on My Parade" for the umpteenth time, she smiles fondly. The very first time she heard it doesn't seem so long ago anymore. It had been that moment when she fully understood the magnitude of Rachel's talent. Even though she would get frustrated at times for never having her chance in the spotlight, she always recognized that she was in the presence of greatness. She eventually came to view Rachel as more of an inspiration and a mentor than her competition. Of course, it was easier to view her that way after she graduated and Tina finally had her chance to be front and center during competitions. So what if they had lost Sectionals – on a technicality – following her solo of Gangnam Style? And who cared if they came in second at Nationals while she led two of the songs with Blaine and the other seniors? It was still an accomplishment to be proud of, and the rush she had felt as Blaine plucked her from the background and twirled her around the stage during "More Than a Feeling" was unlike anything else she had ever experienced.

As Rachel towels herself off following one of the more strenuous dance numbers, she beckons Tina to the stage. Tina is flustered for a moment, silently pointing at herself. "Me?" she mouths. Rachel rolls her eyes and gestures melodramatically. Tina makes her way to the stage as a very handsome man extends his arm towards her.

"Tina, I'd like you to meet Paolo San Pablo. He's my Nicky."

"I- I- I-," Tina stutters, far more convincingly than she ever did in her years of faking it.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance," Paolo says in an extremely charming accent as he takes her hand in a masculine yet gentle manner.

"Yes, er, thank you. I'm a very big fan. You two have been amazing today. You have so much chemistry." Tina is pleased that she managed to string together a coherent sentence in front of this man, whose picture can likely be found in the dictionary under debonair.

"Rachel tells me that you're a singer as well," Rupert phrases it almost like a question, or maybe an invitation.

Tina hadn't thought of herself as a singer. At least not lately. Until her Miss Saigon audition last month, she hadn't performed in front of anyone since Nationals. Her lack of practice showed; she had fidgeted with her hands the whole time and went flat on the biggest note of the song. It was no wonder she hadn't gotten the part, but she still couldn't help being bitter that she wasn't cast even in the ensemble of one of the few musicals that specifically calls for Asian cast members.

"I… Yeah, we were in glee club together in high school. I've spent a lot of time staring at the back of Rachel's head." Tina nearly faints at the fact that Paolo not only got her joke, but is laughing.

"Well, she is truly a unique talent. That's why Rupert and I felt comfortable entrusting the leading role to a 19-year-old amateur. So you may have had to sing back up for her in high school, but make no mistake. If Rachel Berry tells me you're a singer, you're a singer." He cracks a crinkly-eyed smile and heads off stage.

"So, what do you think?" Rachel asks eagerly.

"He's gorgeous, Rachel. Are you and him, like…" Tina trails off, unsure of where Rachel's heart is after losing Finn less than a year ago.

"What? No! I meant what do you think of ME. How was I?"

Tina laughs. "Oh, like you don't know. Rachel, you were born to play this part. And I'm coming back for your opening night. You light up that stage during rehearsals for no one, so I can't wait to see what it's like in front of a packed theater."

Despite being a little sweaty, Rachel hugs Tina tightly. "Ok, I'm gonna go change and then we're meeting up with everyone for dinner. Do me a favor and call Dimitri. Tell him to bring the car around in fifteen minutes." Rachel tosses her phone to Tina and walks off to her dressing room.

Tina is standing alone on the stage of a Broadway theater. This wasn't necessarily her dream, or at least not as specifically as it was Rachel's. But it was something she used to think about. Something she hasn't let herself think about lately. Why is that, she wonders. Is she afraid that it's not a practical life choice, that it's too hard, that there's too much competition? Is she afraid of failure?

She sits down at the piano and guides her fingers mindlessly over a few keys. The melody reminds her of a song from a musical her parents took her to see in Chicago one weekend during sophomore year. She remembers how fitting the song seemed to her back then, when she was in high school and thought that getting out of Lima was the answer to all of life's problems. Now it just seems naïve. She begins to play and finally allows herself to find the voice she'd been keeping silent.

_Mozart was crazy.  
Flat fucking crazy.  
Batshit, I hear.  
But his music's not crazy,  
It's balanced, it's nimble,  
It's crystalline clear._

There's harmony, logic  
You listen to these,  
You don't hear his doubts  
Or his debts or disease.  
You scan through the score  
And put fingers on keys  
And you play...  
And everything else goes away.  
Everything else goes away.

And you play 'til it's perfect,  
You play 'til you ache,  
You play 'til the strings  
Or you fingernails break.  
So you'll rock that recital  
And get into Yale,  
So you won't feel so sick  
And you won't look so pale,  
'Cause you've got your full ride  
And your early admit  
So you're done with this school  
And with all of this shit,  
And you graduate early,  
You're gone as of May  
And there's nothing your  
Paranoid parents can say...

And you know that it's just  
A sonata away...  
And you play...  
And you play...  
And everything else goes away.  
Everything else goes away.  
Everything else goes away.

_And everything else goes away.__  
Everything else goes away.__  
Everything else goes away._

As she finishes the song, Tina feels the all-too-familiar heat of tears on her cheeks. She sits silently for a moment before realizing that Rachel is standing in the wings, watching her. She comes forward and sits on the piano bench next to Tina.

"Tina, that was really lovely," she says quietly, "but are you sure everything is ok? Artie and Blaine have been saying for a while now that you seem like you're holding something back and after hearing that, I have to agree."

"I'm fine. I'm sorry if that was inappropriate of me to do in your theater. Kurt told me about the time you two snuck onto the Wicked stage and sang and I just couldn't pass up this chance. I've always liked that song from Next to Normal; I guess I just got a little wrapped up in my performance." Tina fakes a laugh as she wipes away her tears.

Rachel doesn't look convinced, but she lets it pass. "Alright, then let's get out of here. I'm starving and everyone is dying to see you!"

Tina can't wait to see them either. She stands up and follows Rachel out of the theater, sneaking one last glance back at the piano on the stage and smiling at the return of that familiar warmth in her throat that she only feels when she sings.


	3. Sleeping With a Friend

Chapter 3 – Sleeping with a Friend

The next few days are a whirlwind. After a weekend complete with a sushi dinner on Saturday night followed by drinks and dancing at the loft, mani-pedis with Rachel and Mercedes on Sunday, and a group outing to see the musical version of "Once," Tina follows the well-coordinated schedule her friends set out for her for the week.

On Monday at NYADA classes, she waltzes with Blaine, improvises a strangely convincing love scene with Kurt, and performs an epic duet of "Cosmic Love" by Florence and the Machine with Rachel. Their classmates and teachers are surprisingly respectful and welcoming to an outsider despite their cut-throat reputation. Tina wonders why she's so much less nervous in front of these people who have devoted their lives to the arts than she was in front of a few people at her Miss Saigon audition.

The next day, she tags along with Mercedes to an album signing at a Target in New Jersey and a meeting with her label. She's amazed by how her once sassy diva of a friend has evolved into a savvy business woman who knows how to charm fans and get what she wants from her management. That night, the group gets together for dinner at Kurt and Blaine's apartment and everyone talks about their day. The others listen supportively and give thoughtful advice. Looking around the table, the moment feels surreal. Only a couple of years ago, it seemed like everyone was always at each other's throats over some sort of petty drama.

After spending the morning doodling on a piece of paper through Artie's extremely boring and technical camera class on Wednesday, Tina perks up when he tells her she gets to play a vampire in his friend Lucy's student film that afternoon. As she pops in her fake teeth, she wonders if Figgins still actually thinks she's a vampire. She goes all out in her scene in which she gets to sink her fangs into Artie's neck just seconds before he stakes her through the heart. She nails her dramatic death in only one take, and Lucy thanks her effusively for her great performance.

Tina wakes up on Thursday morning to the smell of something burning. She stumbles out of the bed she's been sharing with Mercedes to find Sam in the living room, seducing the couch with his signature body roll. He finally notices her staring at him, her mouth agape, and yanks the earbuds out of his ears.

"Oh, hey! Good morning! Just, uh, trying to keep myself limber," Sam says, clearly trying not to act embarrassed despite being caught in his boxer briefs humping the furniture. He conspicuously grabs a pillow and holds it over himself.

"That's great, Sam, but you do know the whole world is going to see you in your underwear pretty soon, right?" she asks, pointing at his modesty pillow.

Sam sets it down gingerly. "Oh yeah." He turns his attention towards the kitchen. "OH CRAP."

They both run towards the billowing smoke coming from the oven. Sam grabs a potholder and yanks out a pan containing something that resembles a giant lump of coal. Tina cracks open the window and they both fan the smoke towards it.

"I'm so sorry, Tina. I wanted to treat you to my world famous spinach quiche, but I guess I got distracted and lost track of time."

Tina laughs. "I appreciate the effort, but I'm totally fine with, like, frozen waffles."

Sam smirks as he dumps the burnt quiche into the trash and places the pan in the sink. "Eggos it is! So what do you want to do today? We can go to the Statue of Liberty, a museum, Times Square, whatever you want. I haven't really done much of the touristy stuff since I moved here."

Tina pulls two plates from the cabinet and begins setting the table. "To be completely honest, Sam, I'd be totally fine with just relaxing a bit today. I've had a great time visiting everyone's school and work so far, but I'm exhausted! Rachel practically scheduled my bathroom breaks for me. I'm not used to being on the go all the time like this."

Sam sets the waffles in the toaster and pulls up a chair next to Tina. "What do you mean you're not used to it? You must be pretty busy with school and the musical and that sorority and the new boyfriend." Sam gives his friend a knowing nudge with his elbow and exaggerated wink at the last part.

Tina keeps her gaze down and stays silent for a moment. When she finally lifts her eyes towards Sam, there's a hint of tears forming in the corners. "You know, I've always considered Blaine and Artie my closest friends, but they're not always the easiest to talk to. Artie can be insensitive and Blaine sugar coats things. But you've always been really straightforward and honest with me. So can I be honest with you?"

The toaster dings and Sam pops up to plate the waffles in one graceful motion. He sets the plates down and looks at Tina with anticipation. "Of course you can be honest with me. Are you finally gonna admit you're the one who stole my lucky blueberry chapstick last year? I know it was you; it was a limited edition and no one's lips can possibly taste that good without it."

"Ummm… no." Tina exhales deeply. "Sam, I made it all up. I don't have any friends at Brown, let alone a boyfriend. I don't do anything but study, and I'm still just barely passing some of my classes. I didn't want you guys to think I'm a loser, so I started telling little lies, which turned into bigger lies, which turned into faking my whole life." Tina bursts into sobs unlike any that Sam has seen from her in the many, many times he's seen her cry before. He rushes to her side and kneels next to her chair, wrapping his arms around her.

"Hey, hey, hey. It's ok, Tina. First of all, you are _not_ a loser. None of us would think that, no matter what. Second of all, it takes time to adjust to a new environment. It may seem like it's been easy for us here, but I promise you that we've all struggled. It's just been a little easier because we could lean on each other. You're doing this on your own, and that's gotta be hard. Look at it this way: was the beginning of your freshman year of high school easy?"

Tina looks up at him with wet eyes. "No."

"But how did it turn out?"

"It turned into the best time of my life. I met all my best friends and sang and danced and fell in love and got straight A's without ever studying. Now I have nothing left but my memories of it all. In the movies, it's always the bullies and jocks who peak in high school and then become losers later in life while the nerds triumph, but I'm a nerd who peaked in high school!"

"Ugh, no, enough of the pity party. An Ivy League school is _supposed_ to be hard. Are you learning a lot?"

"A ton, actually."

"Ok, well then you're getting the education you're there for. Keep working hard, but also make time for things that make you happy. Give your brain some time to turn off occasionally and relax, you know?"

"That's actually really good advice, Sam. Thanks." Tina smiles meekly.

"Yeah, ok, and about this not having friends thing. You didn't have a ton of friends four years ago, did you? But you found your people in glee club, and you'll find your people at Brown, too. You just gotta keep looking. I mean, you cry a lot and you can be kind of a nag sometimes, but you're also like super thoughtful and really fun to hang out with. I promise you there are people outside of Lima, Ohio who will see that and appreciate it."

Tina blushes.

"What else is wrong? Oh, right, so you didn't get cast in some dumb play. Big deal, try out for something else!"

"It's not just some dumb play. There aren't a lot of roles for Asian women, Sam. I can't even make a school production of my dream role and Rachel lands her dream role on Broadway in five minutes."

"Are you happy for Rachel?"

"Of course I am. I'm just also seething with jealousy."

"Fair enough, but her victory is her victory. You'll have yours someday too if you keep working for it. And last but not least," Sam jumps to his feet and yanks Tina to hers by the elbow, "I need to show you something."

Sam drags Tina into the bathroom and points her towards the mirror above the sink, standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. "You're meeting a lot of new people, including guys, and first impressions matter. Tell me what you see."

Tina slumps her shoulders and rolls her eyes. "I don't know, an emotional basket case with bags under her eyes?"

Sam mimics the sound of a game show buzzer. "Wrong! If guys aren't lining up at your door, it's not because of how you look, it's how you're carrying yourself. If you saw yourself how other people see you, you'd be a lot more confident. So here's what I see: insanely shiny hair that would be amazing to run my fingers through. Perfect skin that would be really soft and smooth to touch. A killer smile that makes me want to be extra hilarious just to bring it out. But I can't see any of that if you're pouting and walking around with your head buried in a book."

Tina turns to face him and bites her lip. No one has complimented her appearance since Mike – aside from Sam himself when he was briefly fascinated with her boobs last year. She had forgotten what it felt like. "You're a really good guy, Sam. I don't know if everything is going to magically get easier as soon as I get back to school, but when I'm having a hard time, I'm going to remember everything you've said. You're a lot smarter than you get credit for." She wraps her arms around him and buries her head in his chest. He smells faintly of sweat, but it's inviting and warm. He strokes her hair, and it feels as though they stand like that for hours.

When they finally pull away, there's a new feeling in the air – a tension that never existed between them before. Tina clears her throat and tries to defuse it. "So, what should we do today?"

Sam smirks and motions towards the couch that doubles as his bed.

* * *

Tina and Sam barely get up from the couch the entire day. After a marathon video game session (in which Tina whoops Sam's butt, just like she always did in high school), they take a popcorn break and amuse themselves trying to throw it into each other's mouths. When a piece hits him in the eye, he suddenly gets serious and stomps off towards the kitchen.

"Sam, are you ok? I'm sorry about that – I didn't mean to –"

"I'm fine. I just had one of those… what are they called? Epilepsies? Epidurals?" He leans over the sink and splashes water in his eye.

"Epiphanies?"

"Yeah, epiphanies. Like, what if that piece of popcorn got lodged in my eyeball, and I could never model again? I mean, maybe I could get, like, an eyepatch campaign or Long John Silver's or something. But really, I'm not gonna look like this forever. And then what?"

"Well, you're good at a lot of things besides just looking really good, Sam."

"Sure, I'm hilarious and a kick-ass friend, but most people don't get paid for that stuff. All of our friends are gonna be famous millionaires by the time they're thirty, and I'm not even gonna have a four-oh-wunk."

Tina bites her lip to try to stop from laughing at him while he's genuinely panicking about his future, but can't quite help letting a giggle burst from her lips.

"Oh great, now you're laughing at me? After I spent all morning giving you a great pep talk? Thanks a lot."

"Sam I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to. It's just that it's called a four-oh-one-kay. And honestly, I think it's good that you're thinking about this now. You have plenty of good years of modeling left, but it's important that you have a plan in mind for when you're a little bit older. You could maybe do some stand up at an open mic night or take some comedy classes. Or what about art? Don't get mad, but Blaine showed me your macaroni portrait of Kurt, and it was amazing! You're really creative."

Sam puts a pillow over his face and groans. "Remind me to kill him later."

"Ok, no. Nope. Get up. You wouldn't let me have a pity party earlier and I'm not letting you either." Tina yanks him up by the wrist and grabs her cell phone. "Everyone else has given me a crash course in their professional lives so far this week, and now it's your turn. Come on, teach me about modeling."

Sam's eyes light up. "Really? Ok, I've been working on this new pose where I…" He eyes her up and down skeptically. "Actually, that might be a little too advanced for you."

Tina scowls at him.

"Ok, how about modeling 101. Selfies! I've seen your twitpics, and they're not really doing you any favors – no offense." Sam grabs the hand that Tina is holding her cell phone in and extends their arms out above their heads. He stands behind her and demonstrates a perfect selfie pout. She mimics him, and he nods approvingly. He snaps the shot of them, then takes the phone from her to look at it. "Look at that! We look awesome! You need to make this your new profile pic."

Tina looks at the picture and has to agree – for once, she really likes the way she looks. And secretly, she loves the way she looks next to him.

* * *

Tina's cheeks hurt and her throat feels hoarse from laughing so much. She scans the faces around the table and tries to take a mental picture of this moment. She hasn't been this purely and genuinely happy in so long. These people are her family, her home. They know almost everything about her, and she knows them just as well.

"Next up, we have Sam Evans performing a song by Neon Trees. Come on up, Sam," the host calls from the stage at Callback's. Sam makes his way to the stage as Blaine lets out whoops of encouragement.

"Thanks, Pascal. Hi, everyone, my name is Sam. I know karaoke night here is sort of a NYADA student tradition, but my NYADA friends and I are welcoming a very special guest this week and I've always wanted to sing a duet with her. So if you don't mind, I'd like to call Tina Cohen-Chang up to the stage to join me."

Rachel and Mercedes practically lift Tina from her seat and push her towards the stage while the boys clap enthusiastically. Tina shuffles up next to Sam and whispers incredulously, "I don't even know what song you requested! What are you thinking?"

"Just trust me on this. I'll start it off, and you can join in when you're ready. I promise you know it." He winks at her and begins.

_All my friends, they're different people__  
__Anxious like the ocean in a storm__  
__When we go out, yeah, we're electric__  
__Coursing through our bodies 'til we're one__  
__And why mess up a good thing, baby?__  
__It's a risk to even fall in love_

Sam locks eyes with Tina and flashes his signature flirty smile. She knows the song and knows she's supposed to join in, but suddenly her palms are sweating and her heart is racing and all she can do is stare at Sam.

_So, when you give that look to me__  
__I better look back carefully__  
__'Cause this is trouble, yeah this is trouble__I said ooh, ooh__  
__You got me in the mood, mood__  
__I'm scared__  
__But if my heart's gonna break before the night will end__  
__I said, ooh, ooh we're in danger__  
__Sleeping with a friend, sleeping with a friend_

Sam widens his eyes slightly, giving Tina the signal to take over. She begins hesitantly but quickly finds her groove.

_All my friends, stay up past midnight__  
__Looking for the thing to fill the void__  
__I don't go out much like I used to__  
__Something 'bout the strangers and the noise__And why leave when I got you, baby?__  
__It's a risk but babe, I need the thrill__  
_

Tina grins at Sam and begins to bounce along to the song.

_I never said you'd be easy__  
__But if it was all up to me__  
__I'd be no trouble, hey, we're in trouble__  
_

In what feels like a shared delusion, Sam and Tina forget their surroundings and begin grinding as if they're in the middle of a crowded dance floor. They sing the chorus together, and the words seem to take on a new urgency.

_I said ooh, ooh__  
__You got me in the mood, mood__  
__I'm scared__  
__But if my heart's gonna break before the night will end__  
__I said, ooh, ooh we're in danger__  
__Sleeping with a friend, sleeping with a friend__  
_

Tina remembers her surroundings and blushes, but still doesn't take her eyes off Sam. He sings the bridge, eyes locked on hers.

_We are both young, hot-blooded people__  
__We don't wanna die alone__  
__Two become one, it could be lethal__  
__Sleeping with a friend__  
_

As they inch towards one another, Blaine, Artie and Kurt pound on the table and chant the next lines.

_All my friends__  
__All my friends__  
__All my friends__  
__All my friends__  
_

Sam runs to the opposite end of the stage, and spins around to let out the next note before Tina joins back in for the chorus and they move towards one another again and perform New Directions' signature arms-around-each-other's-waist twirl.

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!_

_I said ooh, ooh__  
__You got me in the mood, mood__  
__I'm scared__  
__But if my heart's gonna break before the night will end__  
__I said, ooh, ooh we're in danger__  
__Sleeping with a friend__(All my friends) Sleeping with a friend__  
__(All my friends)__  
__If my heart's gonna break before the night will end__  
__I said, ooh, ooh we're in danger__  
__Sleeping with a friend_

"You guys, that was ADORABLE!" Rachel squeals and claps as Tina and Sam return to their seats.

"Yeah, that was a really convincing performance," Blaine says suspiciously. "What made you choose that song, exactly, Sam?"

"Oh, I was listening to it this morning while I was doing my morning stretches and I've just had it in my head all day."

Tina's heart sinks. What if that's the truth, and the mind-blowing chemistry she just felt with him really was a performance? She notices that Sam seems to be purposely averting his eyes from her, and she curses her own stupidity. Of course he's not interest in her that way; he'd told her that before and she was a fool to believe all the nice things he said earlier in the day to cheer her up.

"Alright guys, this has been fun, but I need to get my dance on," Mercedes whines. "Can we PLEASE go to the club now?"

Everyone nods in agreement and gets up to put on their coats. Mercedes hooks her arm through Rachel's and leads the pack. Artie wheels closely behind them, and Kurt and Blaine follow with their hands in each other's back pockets. Sam still won't look at Tina, and he begins to head towards the door. She follows behind him, feeling more rejected and alone than anyone at Brown ever made her feel.

Suddenly, she notices. Sam is still facing forward in front of her, but his hand is extended backwards, waiting for her to take hold. She pauses for a moment before grabbing it. He squeezes her fingers and peers quickly over his shoulder at her. He smiles, then places a finger in front of his mouth: "Shh."

* * *

"Remind me why we never did that before? And why we didn't spend all of last year doing that, over and over?" Tina traces patterns across Sam's bare chest as they lay tangled up in sheets and each other.

Sam grunts in agreement over the missed opportunity. "We were pretty much never single at the same time. Actually, I guess I was pretty much never single, period." He twists his mouth in pride but tries to pass it off as embarrassment.

"Yeah, no kidding. I have to admit, I was always a little insulted that someone who was completely head over heels for girls as different as Quinn, Santana, Mercedes, Brittany, and Penny was always saying that he didn't find me attractive. It doesn't really seem like you have a type that I don't fit into, unless it's girls that require you to jump through hoops to get them."

Sam pulls Tina's chin gently so that she's facing him. "I never meant that you weren't attractive. I meant that I wasn't attracted _to_ you. For the first two years I knew you, you were dating a really good friend of mine, so I had to turn off the part of my brain that could look at you that way. You were more like a sister to me. I always thought you were beautiful, I just wasn't allowed to let myself picture you naked and stuff."

Tina giggles. "When you put it that way, I guess I'm kind of relieved you never hit on me."

Sam looks out the window. "Just so you know, all the stuff I said earlier? I wasn't trying to get you in bed or anything. I thought you needed to hear it, and I meant it."

Tina props herself up on her elbows. "I know, Sam. You were just being a good friend, and I guess I got caught up in feeling connected to someone again. It's nice to be around people who know you, you know?"

"So, is that what we are? Friends?"

"I mean, I think so. If we never dated when we lived in the same town, why would we date when we don't?"

"Maybe because we didn't know how good it would be between us?"

"But maybe it was so good _because_ we're friends. I just felt really at ease with you, you know. I already know that you don't think I'm perfect, so I don't have to pretend to be."

"That's true. I was really experiencing the whole thing with my body instead of being caught up in my head, worrying about impressing you and stuff."

"Gee, thanks," Tina scoffs.

"Oh come on, you know what I mean. You pretty much said it first."

"I know. Ok, I just have two questions. Are we gonna do it again while I'm in town?"

"Definitely. That was easy. What's the other question?"

"Are we gonna tell Blaine?"

.


	4. Heart of Rock 'n' Roll

Chapter 4 –Heart of Rock 'n' Roll

"Ok, ok, don't panic. Maybe we should stick a mirror under her nose to see if she's breathing," Rachel's hypocritically panic-stricken voice stirs Tina from her very pleasant dream.

"Wait, I think she's moving," Mercedes says, sounding relieved.

Tina blinks her eyes open to find her both of her friends' faces mere inches from hers. She lets out a surprised yelp.

"Hurray, you're alive!" Rachel claps, then coughs. "You have horrible morning breath, but you're alive."

"Yeah, now get your lazy butt out of bed or we're gonna be late," Mercedes orders.

Tina yawns and rubs her eye. 'Late for what?" Rachel draws the curtains open, letting a flood of sunlight directly into Tina's freshly opened eyeballs. She squints and holds a hand out in front of her face.

"Late for the lunch shift, silly! Kurt and I have to work from 10:30 to 2:30, and you get to be an honorary Spotlight Diner waitress with us! Don't worry, you don't have to actually serve any tables, but you do get to sing with us and wear the uniform. Mercedes and Artie are coming to eat and hang out, too. It's been way too long since the five of us got to spend any quality time together, just us. No Cheerios, no jocks, no students who randomly transfer in and out of schools whenever they feel like it. Just the underdogs who started it all." Tina notes a flicker of sadness in Rachel's eyes as she averts her gaze towards the window.

"That sounds like fun! What time is it now?"

"9:45."

Tina scrambles out of Mercedes' bed and darts towards the bathroom. As she passes through the living room, she notes that Sam is nowhere to be found. His couch-bed is neatly made, with no sign of any of the activity that occurred there the night before.

At least, she thinks it occurred. It wasn't just a dream, was it? No, the sweet soreness in her limbs tells her it was real. The hot water envelops her, reminding her of lying in Sam's arms. She giggles while she washes, remembering the time he requested videos of her soaping up her boobs. He got to see a whole lot more than that last night.

She had snuck back into Mercedes' room just before dawn. With no real walls in the loft, the girls might have heard what went on in the living room from their bedrooms, but they hadn't said anything about it yet, so Tina decided she wouldn't either. She and Sam agreed that they wanted to keep their new… whatever it was… a secret for now. They didn't feel like dealing with teasing or questions or anyone pressuring them to become a real couple. And they certainly didn't need a repeat of Blaine's disgusted reaction to catching them kissing at their senior lock-in.

The bathroom door creaks open and, through the shower curtain, Tina sees a disembodied arm make its way inside with a red and white garment on a hanger. "Tina, I'm leaving you a diner uniform here on the doorknob. Now will you hurry it up!" Rachel barks.

Tina snaps out of her daze and quickly gets out of the shower, towels off, and puts on the uniform. She laughs at the sight of her reflection, uncannily similar to how she imagined it when she blacked out after Sam hit her in the head with a trophy. Her friends in New York might not be living quite the sitcom life she dreamt of, but it's beginning to feel more and more like this is where she always subconsciously knew she belongs.

* * *

Tina gnaws on a French fry and sits back, enjoying the sight of Kurt and Rachel frantically trying to handle the lunch rush. A blond toddler sneezes on Kurt's arm, and he visibly shudders. Rachel trips spectacularly over her own feet while carrying a full tray, but manages to recover without dropping anything. Tina notes that a few impatient patrons are glaring at her, thinking she's a waitress who simply can't be bothered to get up from the table she's sharing with Artie and Mercedes. She glares right back at one of them, a woman with a blond bouffant and a loud Texan drawl. The woman cowers a bit at Tina's scowl, and she feels victorious about convincingly portraying a New Yorker's attitude.

"This. Is. _Priceless_. I need to remember to come here more often when these two are working." Mercedes bursts into a fit of giggles at the sight of an elderly woman pinching Kurt's cheek while slipping a single dollar bill into his shirt pocket.

"Yeah, I'm probably never eating at my dorm again," Artie concurs. The two clink glasses, and Tina feels briefly regretful that she'll miss out on the opportunity to join their future adventures in schadenfreude.

Rachel whizzes past their table, calling out, "Don't get too comfortable, you three. As soon as I take this next table's order, we're all getting up on that stage and showing these people what national champion glee club alumni look like!"

"Is that, like, a thing that people need to be shown?" Artie asks, furrowing his brow and shifting his eyes back and forth between Tina and Mercedes.

Kurt beckons them over to the jukebox and asks, "So what should we sing? The tips are better when we go for something fun, loud, and retro. And since it's the five of us, it should be something that celebrates what brought us all together: music."

Tina browses the song titles for a moment. "If you guys don't mind cheesing it up a bit, I think I see the perfect song." She points towards her selection, and the others nod enthusiastically in agreement. Kurt types in the song's code, and they bound towards the stage as the synthesized rhythm begins to play.

Rachel looks annoyed and mouths at them from across the restaurant, "Huey Lewis? Really?" Tina arches her eyebrow at her as she begins to sing.

_New York, New York, is everything they say  
Ain't no place that I'd rather be  
Where else can you do a half a million things  
All at a quarter to three_

Rachel throws her order pad in the air with a smile and heads towards the stage as Artie takes over the next verse.

_When they play their music, ooh, that modern music  
They like it with a lot of style  
But it's still that same old back beat rhythm  
That really, really drives 'em wild_

All five of them join in for the chorus and resurrect as many of Mr. Schue's patented arm motions as they can think of.

_They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating  
And from what I've seen I believe 'em  
Now the old boy may be barely breathing  
But the heart of rock and roll  
Heart of rock and roll's still beating_

Mercedes emerges from behind the others with a prop feather boa and oversized sunglasses to sing the next verse.

_LA, Hollywood and the Sunset Strip  
Is something everyone should see  
Neon lights and the pretty, pretty girls  
All dressed so scantily_

Rachel hip-bumps Mercedes from center stage and steals the spotlight.

_When they play their music  
That hard rock music  
They like it with a lot of flash  
But it's still that same old back beat rhythm  
That really, really kicks 'em in the_

They all join back in, snapping along in unison from behind the microphone stands.

_They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating  
And from what I've seen I believe 'em  
Now the old boy may be barely breathing  
But the heart of rock and roll  
Heart of rock and roll is still beating_

Kurt points at one of the bus boys and calls out, "_Johnny!"_

They all spread out through the restaurant during the horn breakdown, encouraging the patrons to get up and dance with them. Kurt and Artie duet on the next verse, pointing at the various tourists who look like they could be from some of the cities named in the song.

_DC, San Antone and the Liberty Town  
Boston and Baton Rouge  
Tulsa, Austin, Oklahoma City  
Seattle, San Francisco too_

They all head back to the stage as the girls harmonize on the final verse.

_Everywhere there's music, real live music  
Bands with a million styles  
But it's still that some old rock and roll music  
That really, really drives 'em wild_

As they sing the last chorus, they exchange knowing smiles and glances. It may not be a great song, but they know they are great together.

_They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating  
And from what I've seen I believe 'em  
Now the old boy may be barely breathing  
But the heart of rock and roll  
Heart of rock and roll is still beating, yeah_

Rachel adds a sultry flair as she sings, "_In Cleveland."_

Mercedes shouts, "_Detroit!"_

Tina growls, "_Uh! Heart of rock and roll!"_

They gather for a group hug as the crowd hoots and hollers. Someone even throws a five dollar bill on stage. Gunther seemingly appears from nowhere and points to Mercedes, Artie, and Tina. "You three need jobs?"

* * *

When Kurt and Rachel's shift ends, they all head back to the loft to change clothes and relax. Everyone agrees that they went out pretty hard last night and would be happy staying in for the night. They decide that they'll order pizza, play games, and watch old competition videos.

"Ok, but I'm going home to get the ones _my_ dad filmed," Kurt declares. "The ones Rachel's dads recorded are shot entirely in close-up on her."

Rachel rolls her eyes but agrees. "Ugh, fine. Actually, maybe we should all just go there. You guys have a bigger TV, and it's Blam night so we'll have the place to ourselves."

"Blam night?" Tina blinks at her.

"Don't ask," Kurt sighs.

"No, literally don't ask," Artie explains. "Kurt and Blaine agreed that Friday nights would be Sam and Blaine's special night every week. We're not allowed to ask what they do."

"I've been assured that there's no sexual exploration involved," Kurt interjects.

"They stay out pretty much all night," Mercedes continues, "and they're both always in a really good mood on Saturday."

"Huh." Tina thinks back to the various weekend activities she did with Blaine and Sam last year but can't imagine what they'd be doing on a weekly basis that would be such a big secret. Everyone already knows what huge dorks they are, so there's not much that could embarrass them. She's suddenly overwhelmed by missing them both even though it's only been a matter of hours since she last saw them. As much as she loves spending the day with Rachel, Kurt, Artie, and Mercedes, she hopes that tomorrow's surprise activity includes Blaine and Sam. And even more pressingly, she hopes that she and Sam will be able to find a little more alone time before she has to head back to the reality of her lonely life at Brown.

* * *

The gang spent the night oohing and aahing at how young they all looked in the videos, gossiping about all the bygone high school drama, talking frankly about how much they missed Finn, and promising to stay in each other's lives no matter where life took them. Tina felt so consumed with love and hope that the prospect of returning to Brown didn't seem so scary anymore. Even if her friends weren't physically there with her, she was never really alone. She had intended to try to stay awake until Sam came home, but her mind felt so at ease that she drifted off to sleep next to Mercedes in a matter of minutes.

Her eyes pop open to the sound of shuffling feet in the living room. It's hard to tell in the dark, but she thinks her watch reads 3:37. Whatever Sam and Blaine do on Friday nights must be pretty crazy. The only places she can think of that are open that late are bars, truck stops, and pharmacies. She delicately slides her legs out from under the covers and tip-toes across the room, looking back to make sure Mercedes doesn't stir. As she reaches the curtain that separates the bedroom from the living room, she bumps into something hard. "Ow," she and the hard thing both whisper.

They step back and look at each other awkwardly. "Hey," Sam finally says with a small smirk.

"Hey," Tina smiles back at him.

"So, how was your day with 'The Originals'? You know, for people who preach inclusion and acceptance, it's kinda cliquey." Sam seems surprisingly annoyed.

"It was really fun, thanks for asking. How was _Blam night_?" Tina retorts.

"The first rule of Blam night is you don't talk about Blam night. But point taken," Sam acknowledges.

"Wait a minute, what is that?" Tina asks, sniffing the air. "Do you smell that?" She moves towards the kitchen to try to detect where the pleasant odor is coming from, then realizes it's coming from Sam himself. "Is that vanilla? Coconut?"

Sam turns beet red. "I have no idea what you're talking about." He begins to back slowly away from her, then turns and runs towards the bathroom.

"I know that smell from somewhere. Get back here!" She chases him and catches up just in time to stick her foot in the bathroom door as he's closing it. She enters the bathroom and closes the door, pinning him against it. "Why do you smell so perfumey? Please tell me you guys didn't go to some kind of weird pansexual strip club!" Tina twists her face in disgust at the idea of Sam and Blaine getting simultaneous lap dances next to each other.

"Um, yeah, that's it. You caught us. We went to a strip club with both male and female dancers. How did you guess?" Sam says unconvincingly, darting his eyes everywhere around the room but towards Tina's.

"Ok, now I really need to know the truth. If it's more embarrassing than that, I'm out of ideas." She tightens her grip on the arm she's holding against the bathroom door and notices something. "Whoa, how is your skin this soft?" She strokes his arm, then his hand, and finally his face.

"Duh, I'm a model. I take good care of my skin."

"No, it was definitely not this soft last night. Did you have some kind of spa treatment?"

Sam looks away and pretends to whistle.

"That's it, isn't it?" Tina claps victoriously. "But what kind of spa is open until three in the morning? Oh, ew, it's not one of _those_ kinds of places, is it? That's even worse than a strip club!"

Sam groans. "Ok, listen, I'm going to tell you something," he says reluctantly, "but it can't ever leave this bathroom. Agreed?" He holds up his pinky. She hooks hers into it and nods. His face suddenly lights up in excitement. "Ok, so there's this magical place that one of my model friends told me about a few months ago. It's an underground, unlicensed night spa operated in the basement of a laundromat. The services are dirt cheap and they're amazing. Only a few people even know it exists, so I can't tell blabbermouths like Rachel or Kurt or Mercedes. But Blaine and I go, and we get, like, manis and pedis and facials and massages and seaweed wraps. It's the best part of my entire week! I get time with my bro, I get to relax, and my agent says it keeps me looking well-groomed or whatever."

Tina crinkles her forehead as she pictures the boys wearing white robes and cucumbers over their eyes, lounging blissfully in a dark, filthy basement. "Well, you do both have luminous skin. But is it sanitary? Are the workers compensated fairly? Are you absolutely sure they aren't the kind of people that drug you and steal your kidneys?"

Sam rolls his eyes, "Ugh, I should have known you wouldn't understand."

Tina laughs, "No, it sounds like fun. As long as I'm in on the secret, maybe you guys will let me crash Blam night next time I come to visit?"

Sam's eyes light up. "You think you're coming back soon?"

"I don't know if I can get away from school before the semester ends, but of course I'm coming back eventually. Maybe I'll even rent an apartment for the summer or something."

"That would be amazing! You know, I didn't really realize how much I missed you until you were here. Now it's weird to think about you _not_ being here." He hugs her like he doesn't want to let her go, ever.

She pecks him on the cheek, hoping he will reciprocate with something more. Instead he pulls back, and her heart sinks.

"No way, none of that tonight. It's four a.m. and we need our rest for tomorrow." He opens the bathroom door and ushers her out.

"What's tomorrow?" she whispers.

He smacks her gently on the butt and pushes her through the curtain into Mercedes bedroom. "That's one secret that you're not getting out of me tonight."


	5. Heaven

Chapter 5 – Heaven

Author's Note: If you read Chapter 4 before 4/18/14, there is a new section after the final line break. I decided what was going to be the beginning of this chapter made more sense as an ending to that chapter. Thank you for your comments and feedback; they mean more to me than you'll ever know.

* * *

"Taaaaay Taaaaay," Blaine sings her awake. "C'mon Queen T, get up."

She rubs her eyes and finds Blaine sitting on the edge of the bed, dapper and bright-eyed as always. "What are you doing here? Where's everyone else?" she asks, noting the empty spot next to her in Mercedes' bed.

"Mercedes and Rachel are both busy with work stuff today. Sam and I were out late last night so I'm letting him sleep in while you get ready."

"Okay, I'll get in the shower, but what exactly am I getting ready for?"

"It's a surprise!"

Tina showers quickly and opens her suitcase to pick out her outfit. She's dismayed to see only two choices left; a purple and black dress for today, and jeans and a hoodie for the plane ride home tomorrow. The week has gone by so quickly, but in a way she feels like she's been in New York forever.

When she emerges from the bedroom, Blaine is waiting for her with two cups of coffee. He points at Sam. "Look at him. I just can't bear to wake him quite yet. Let's give him another twenty minutes?"

Tina agrees. Sam might be the only person she knows who could manage to look so adorable while sleeping with his mouth open, drool drying at the corner. His blond hair spikes in every direction against his pillow, creating the illusion of a mohawk. His body is bent at awkward angles that allow him to fit on the couch that's about a foot too small for his frame, yet he looks peaceful.

They sip their coffee and sit quietly at the table. Blaine reaches across for her hand. "I feel like I haven't really had a chance to talk to you alone since you've been here. How are you?"

The question seems so simple, but she has no idea how to answer it. A week ago, she might have burst into tears and confessed how awful a time she'd been having at Brown. But right now, she doesn't want to dredge up those feelings.

"I'm great! This week has been exactly what I needed. You guys are all so sweet to plan all this fun stuff for me when I threw my visit at you at the last minute. Honestly, it's meant the world to me."

Blaine smiles. "Of course, you know we'd-"

A low moan comes from the couch. Sam stands slowly, his eyes still closed. He stumbles zombie-like towards the bathroom without ever acknowledging Blaine and Tina's presence.

"Is he okay?" Tina asks.

She has her answer less than a minute later, when he emerges from the bathroom with every hair in it's purposely disheveled place, a bright smile on his face, and words tumbling out of his mouth a mile a minute.

"Alright, let's get this thing started! Blamtina day! Yes! Woo!" Sam pumps his fist enthusiastically.

Tina looks questioningly at Blaine. He clears his throat. "That wasn't quite how we talked about announcing it, but yes: Blamtina day! Everyone else had you yesterday, but today you're all ours." They hug her from opposite sides.

"So we were thinking," Blaine continues, "since we had an epic lock-in last year at school, _this_ year what we need to do is have an epic lock-_out. _For the next twelve hours, we're not allowed to come back here or go to my apartment. We have to be out exploring and enjoying the city. Just one condition though: this is about all three of us, so no twosomes can run off together and leave the other one playing Twister like an idiot."

Tina and Sam exchange knowing glances, then both look apologetically at Blaine. "Deal!" Tina agrees, excited about the prospect of a day out with her two favorite boys. "Where to first?"

* * *

The threesome sit crowded around a tiny table at brunch, each picking forkfuls of food off the others' plates without needing to ask permission. As the waiter bumps into the back of her chair for the thousandth time, Tina scans the room. The tables are packed in so tightly that there's only one narrow pathway that extends from the bathrooms at the back of the restaurant to the front door. People sit in groups of six around tables big enough for two. Even though she's sure there are at least five fire code violations, no one else seems to notice or care. In New York, personal space is an alien concept. And even though Tina usually likes to keep strangers at arms' length, there's something about the close quarters here that makes it feel like a real community. A community that she wants to be a part of.

After Tina finishes telling the boys about her day at the Spotlight Diner, Blaine changes the subject. "So, there's something I've been wanting to talk to both of you about," he says, looking earnest. "You know senior year started out kind of rough for me. After Kurt left, I felt so alone and confused about what I was even doing at McKinley without him. I made the worst mistake of my life because of how lonely I felt. I hit rock bottom, and becoming so close to you guys is what turned everything around for me. When I think of last year, I don't picture crying alone in my room over Kurt or huddling in silence in the choir room when we thought there was a shooter in the school. I don't picture losing sectionals or nationals." He pauses, looking towards the sky. "I don't even picture Finn's funeral. I picture running around that auditorium stage like an idiot with you guys by my side, singing and dancing and swinging on vines and playing on a merry go round and stomping on balloons. I've never felt more alive than I did in those moments."

For once it looks like Blaine might be the one to start the waterworks, but he pauses briefly to compose himself and continues. "Aside from Kurt, you're my best friends on the planet. And so, there's nothing I'd like more than for each of you to stand by my side when I marry him. Will you-"

"Yes!" Tina and Sam both cut him off in unison and throw their arms around him.

Blaine's eyes light up and he begins animatedly, "Ok, so Kurt and I decided we're keeping the wedding party small. He's having his cousin Trevor, plus Rachel and Mercedes. Of course, I'm having Cooper and you guys. Sorry, Tina, buy Kurt is in charge of the bridesmaids' dresses. I, of course, am the expert in all things bow-tie so I get to choose the tuxes." He beams at Sam, and both Tina and Blaine giggle at the thought of Sam in one of Blaine's signature preppy ensembles.

"Speaking of fashion, there's something _I _thought we could do today. It's something I've been wanting to suggest for a long time, but I needed back up," Sam says. "Now that Tina's here, Blaine, I think it's time for a fashion intervention."

Tina's eyes light up. 'Yes, and hair, too. I've literally had dreams about how good it would look without all that gel."

Blaine looks appalled. "What are you guys talking about? Everyone loves my style, and it's totally evolved into a more mature, subdued New York look."

Tina groans. 'No offense, Blainey Days, but it hasn't evolved as much as you think. I'm thinking more of a hipster chic vibe will let your personality shine through while highlighting your good looks. As it is now, most people are probably too distracted by the bow-ties and mismatched patterns and vomit-inducing colors to ever make it to your face."

"Yeah, and she's totally right about your hair, man," Sam pipes up. "I mean, look what happened when you convinced me to finally get my hair cut. I turned immediately from couch potato slob into employed butt model!"

"You guys aren't going to give up until I agree to this, are you?"

"Nope!" Tina and Sam say in cheery unison.

Blaine reluctantly smiles and agrees, "Then let's go!"

* * *

Tina is holding a blue dress in front of herself in the department store mirror when a hot pink baseball cap suddenly materializes on her head. Sam appears behind her in the reflection, grinning. "Not really your color, but you look cute in hats." He pushes the brim down in front her eyes.

She blushes as she pushes it back up and turns around to face him. "How long is he gonna be in there?" she asks, motioning towards the dressing room where they sent Blaine with at least forty different items to try on, despite the signs prohibiting more than twelve.

"I don't know, I thought he would come out and show us stuff. That's what I always used to do when my mom took me shopping, unless I hated something so much that I didn't want to come out."

"Uh oh," Tina says. They both march down the narrow hall of dressing rooms, calling out for Blaine.

There's no response for a moment, other than an elderly voice calling from within one of the rooms, "What did you say? Beverly, is that you? I'm down here on the right." A wrinkled foot appears from under one of the doors. Tina stifles a gag.

Just as she's about to work up the courage to pull Sam into an open dressing room and steal a kiss, Tina hears quiet footsteps behind her. She spins around and drops her jaw.

"What do you guys think?" Blaine asks, uncertain. He's wearing dark jeans, red Chuck Taylors, and a navy V-neck sweater over an untucked plaid shirt. His gelmet is obscured by a dark gray beanie, and his gorgeous eyes are framed by thick black rims.

"Blaine, you…"

"Whoa…"

"I..." After several moments, Tina finally accesses the part of her brain that has words. "You. Look. Amazing!"

"Yeah, and you still look totally like yourself, dude. Like your pants and your shirt are still super tight. It's just that now you look 19 instead 89."

"I don't know, I feel less… polished."

"That's ok!" Tina assures him. "As much as it seems like it sometimes, you're not actually perfect. You don't have to dress like every grandmother's fantasy to convey how awesome you are. This makes you look just a little less preppy and a little more urban. Also super, super hot."

Sam looks quizzically at Tina, then nods in agreement at Blaine's reflection.

"I have to admit," Blaine sighs, "it's really comfortable. Like you said, it's similar to my old clothes, but a little more relaxed." He looks at himself in the mirror for a few moments. "I like it," he finally declares confidently. "I'm not sure what Kurt's going to think, but I really do feel like this could be the next stop in the evolution of Blaine Anderson."

"Perfect! When we're allowed to go home, we're washing that gel out and Sam and I get free reign over your hair. But for now, the beanie will do." Tina and Sam throw their arms around their transformed friend and usher him back to the dressing room. He ends up with two large shopping bags worth of new clothes and a little more maturity in his gait as they leave the store.

Sam looks at his watch. "Um, we still have seven hours to kill. Any ideas?"

They agree to just wander around the city for a while. Blaine and Sam point out some points of interest along the way, Tina ducks into a boutique to pick out a few new accessories, and they stop to rest their feet at a small café. They each order a different flavor smoothie and share sips with one another.

Tina flips through the photos on her phone, smiling as she recalls each moment that she captured from the last week in reverse order: Blaine's new look, the gang piled onto Kurt's couch in pajamas after they watched competition videos, a blurry group shot taken by a very drunk girl at Callbacks, her selfie with Sam, several artistically framed candids taken by Artie's friend while they filmed the vampire movie, a cute shot of Mercedes kissing Tina's cheek at Target, pictures from her performances at each of the classes she attended at NYADA, and multiple combinations of the group from last weekend's excursions. When she gets to the first one that she took with Rachel in the limo a week ago, her stomach drops. She only has about twenty precious hours left in this amazing city with her amazing friends. She wants to hold onto this feeling forever.

A mischievous smile creeps across her face. "I have an idea."

* * *

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this, Tina Cohen-Crazy!" Blaine yelps in pain as the needle enters his skin. He squeezes her fingers so hard that they begin to turn blue.

"Oh, come on, I've done it twice before: once when I got 'Mike Chang Forever' and another time to change it after we broke up. It's not that bad." Tina strokes Blaine's shoulder with her free hand. Sam stands silently in the corner, his face ashen and his eyes blazing with fear.

Air hisses through Blaine's teeth. He winces, but eventually seems to release some of the initial tension. His grip on Tina's hand relaxes a bit. "Kurt did it twice with his tattoo, too. I can handle this." He closes his eyes and breathes deeply. "I am one with the needle." He looks almost peaceful.

"See, Sam, it's no big deal!" Tina encourages him.

"Easy for you to say! I have a healthy, lifelong fear of needles. If I go through with this, it means I really, really love you guys."

"Hey, you let Nurse Penny give you a shot in the butt and I'm pretty sure whatever fleeting feeling you had for her only counts as infatuation," Blaine teases.

"This is way different, man. Plus, I'm a model. My body is my money-maker and I can't afford to mess with this perfect canvas," Sam insists as he points at his chest.

Tina groans. "That's the beauty of this tattoo. You can put it anywhere and it will still be just as meaningful. So put it somewhere the camera will never see."

The confusion on Sam's face quickly gives way to understanding. "You mean like my butt?"

"I mean like your butt," Tina nods.

* * *

After the three take turns holding each other's hands through the pain, they stand in front of a mirror and admire the new markings that signify their common lifelong bond. Blaine's left pec, Tina's right ankle, and the side of Sam's right butt cheek are each adorned with a tiny arrow. Blaine's is rainbow plaid and points down. Tina's is purple with a musical note on the head of the arrow, which points up along the main artery in her leg. Sam's resembles comic book art and wraps around just enough to point up and towards the front of his body.

"I love them!" Tina smiles.

"Me too," Blaine agrees. "There's only one problem. It shouldn't just be for us."

Sam snaps a picture of their reflection. "You're right. Let's tell everyone."

They huddle around Sam's phone composing an e-mail. After Tina and Blaine correct Sam's spelling and grammar one too many times, he thrusts the phone at Tina in frustration to finish. When they are done, she reads it aloud one last time before hitting send.

_Dear Rachel, Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Quinn, Brittany, Santana, Puck, Mike, Matt, Lauren, Sugar, Rory, Joe, Unique, Marley, Jake, Ryder, Kitty, and Mr. Schue,_

_Once upon a time, in a magical place called Ohio, twelve lost teenagers and one lost teacher found each other. Together, they charted a course towards their destinies. Along the way, others came to join the journey. Some left too soon. Over time, their destinies took them to different places. But no matter where any of them are physically, their hearts will remain forever entwined._

_If you choose, we invite you to join us in symbolizing this lifelong connection with a tattoo of an arrow pointing towards your heart. Whenever you feel lost, you can look at it and find the strength to seek your new direction. _

_With love and gratitude,_

_Tina, Sam, and Blaine_

"Too corny?" Tina scrunches her face in uncertainty.

"Just corny enough," Blaine smiles.

Sam attaches the photo and hits send.

* * *

"Alright, are you ready for our final stop of the evening?" Blaine's eyes widen in excitement.

"Absolutely, but what are we doing on the NYADA campus?" Tina asks.

"Well, Sam and I were talking about how long it's been since we've done one of our celebratory end-of-the-week auditorium freestyle numbers together. And we've been so nostalgic having you here, so we thought we could sneak into the NYADA auditorium. It's no April Rhodes Pavilion, but it's next to the building where Cassie July's office is, and I know where she stashes her booze."

"Excellent," Tina says as she drums her fingers together. Sam gives her a smile that says "you're such a nerd, and I adore it."

After pilfering a fifth of vodka and two nearly empty bottles of Peach Schnapps, the trio arrives at the auditorium. Sam ushers Tina to a seat in the front row.

"I thought we were gonna 'run around the stage like idiots' together," Tina protests, looking pointedly at Blaine as she air quotes his phrase from earlier in the day.

"We are," Sam assures her, "but Blaine and I wanted to ask you something through song first. We need you to sit this one out, and then we can spend all night here recreating New Directions' greatest hits afterwards if you want."

Sam disappears behind stage and returns with a guitar wrapped around him. He begins strumming as Blaine taps his foot to the rhythm. Blaine starts to sing a song by The Walkmen.

_Our children will always hear  
Romantic tales of distant years  
Our gilded age may come and go  
Our crooked dreams will always flow_

Tina bounces along in her seat to the catchy tune. Sam takes over the next verse.

___Stick with me  
Oh you're my best friend  
All of my life  
You always been_

Blaine pulls a small device from his pocket and pushes a button on it. Suddenly, an image of the three of them in their Ed Sullivan suits and 60's fan-girl clothes from Beatles' week is projected onto the massive screen at the back of the stage. As the boys alternate lines and harmonize for the rest of the song, the slide show continues. It feels like a lifetime of happy memories all wrapped up in four glorious minutes.

___Remember, remember  
All we fight for  
Remember, remember  
All we fight for_

Don't leave me  
Oh you're my best friend  
All of my life  
You always been  
Don't leave me now  
You're my best friend  
All of my life  
You always been

Remember, remember  
All we fight for  
Remember, remember  
All we fight for

Tina doesn't know the song, but she loves it. She can no longer resist the urge to jump onto the stage and dance along. Blaine spins and twirls her. As they pass across center stage, larger-than-life smiles and group hugs from their younger days are projected onto their bodies. The final image of everyone huddled around their Nationals trophy remains on the screen as Sam finishes the song.

* * *

Author's Note: I originally had a certain ending in mind for this story, but when I got to this point, something different ended up happening. I decided to present both options as alternate endings and let you decide which one you like better. The next two chapters each pick up immediately after this moment. I hope you like at least one of them!


	6. Already Home

Ending 1 – Already Home

"So?" Sam asks, as he sets down the guitar.

"So." Tina replies.

"So," Blaine breaks the silence, "Sam and I were talking last night about how important our friendship with you is to us. Even though we all only become so close senior year, it feels like we've known each other forever. And as much as we love being Blam, we're not complete without you. The three of us balance each other out in this really special way."

"Yeah, and you know we always have each other's backs, no matter what," Sam continues. "So, when one of us isn't happy, the other two need to do something to help."

Tina begins to fume. She glares at Sam and gestures towards Blaine. She thought she had told Sam about her difficulties at Brown in confidence.

Blaine takes her by the shoulder. "He didn't have to say anything, Tina. I'm your best friend; I know when something isn't right. Well, I actually did trick him into admitting what you told him, but I knew before that." Blaine breathes deeply. "So knowing that you aren't happy at Brown, and seeing how happy you've been this past week, we think you should move here. You can stay at the apartment until you get settled."

"Yeah," Sam agrees. "You heard the song. Don't leave us; you're our best friend."

Tina is silent. The boys brace themselves for tears, but there's no wavering in her voice when she finally speaks. "I love you guys and I love this place, but I can't just quit something as soon as it gets hard. Thank you for this, but I'm sorry. I can't." She gets up to leave, but Sam takes her hand.

"You won't even consider it?"

She shakes her head. He looks heartbroken.

"Well, I can't say we were expecting this reaction," Blaine sighs. "We're Blam. Our powers of persuasion have never been resisted before."

"So you thought you'd sing me a song and I'd uproot my whole life? I worked really hard to get into Brown and I'm going to work really hard to find happiness there. I love you guys for caring, I really do. But this is the real world. You can't just run away from your problems."

"Maybe it wouldn't be running away from something. Maybe it would be running towards something better." Sam's eyes plead with hers, saying the things left unspoken in his words.

"I don't know what else to say, you guys."

They all look at their palms. Sam takes a swig of vodka.

"Maybe you could just sing to us, then?" Blaine asks. "I miss your voice and it seems like forever since you sang us a solo. No interruptions this time, either. No school bell, no crying, no booing. Just you and your beautiful voice." He and Sam sit on the floor of the stage, crossing their legs at the ankles and resting their elbows on their knees. They look up at her expectantly, making it clear they won't move until she sings.

Tina takes a seat at the piano bench and deliberates. After a while, she begins to play.

"A Great Big World," Blaine says under his breath with a tender smile.

_You say love is what you put into it  
You say that I'm losing my will  
Don't you know that you're all that I think about?  
You make up two thirds of the whole_

Blaine chuckles at her slight change of the lyrics.

_You say that it's hard to commit to it  
You say that it's hard standing still  
Don't you know that I spend all my nights  
Counting backwards the days 'til I'm home?_

_If only New York wasn't so far away  
I promise the city won't get in our way  
When you're scared and alone,  
Just know that I'm already home_

_I say that we're right in the heart of it  
A love only we understand  
I will bend every light in this city  
And make sure they're shining on you_

_If only New York wasn't so far away  
I promise the city won't get in our way  
And when you're scared and alone,  
Just know that I'm already home_

_When life takes its own course  
Sometimes we just don't get to choose  
I'd rather be there next to you  
Promise you'll wait for me, wait for me  
Wait 'til I'm home_

_All I have is this feeling inside of me  
The only thing I've ever known_

_If only New York wasn't so far away  
I promise the city won't get in our way  
When you're scared and alone,  
Just know that I'm already home_

_If only New York wasn't so far away  
I will be there every step of the way  
And when you're scared and alone,  
Just know that I'm already home  
Just know that I'm already home_

She gets up from the piano bench and crouches between them. For once, the boys are the ones in need of comfort.

"I'm always going to be with you guys. You know that. You can call me or text me or even just look at your tattoo and know that I'm thinking about you, too. If I'm completely honest, the idea of moving here crossed my mind a million times this week. But I have to finish what I started. In the meantime, I'll come back for visits and you can come visit me. Providence is gorgeous in the fall and it's only a three hour train ride."

"What about this summer? Is there still a chance you'll spend it here?" Sam asks hopefully.

"Definitely," Tina answers. "I've already been emailing some people on Craigslist about subleasing their places."

Blaine wraps her in a big bear hug. "That's amazing!"

Sam pushes Blaine out of the way, picks Tina up, twirls her around, and plants a huge kiss on her lips. Blaine clears his throat. They both turn their heads slightly, lips still connected, and look at him unapologetically.

"Dude," Sam mumbles through another kiss, "get over it."

Blaine scoffs, then smiles. "I guess if my two best friends make each other happy, I'm happy for them. Admittedly jealous that they share something with each other that I can't share with either of them, but happy for them." He backs out of the room, taking one of the Peach Schnapps bottles with him. "Anyway, it's been twelve hours, so I'm going home to my fiancé. Have fun." He salutes them with the bottle and flicks the lights off, leaving them to light their own way through the darkness together.


	7. Home

Ending 2 – Home

Tina can't help herself. As usual, tears come pouring out, preventing her from forming intelligible words. Unlike lately, though, these tears are happy ones.

"You guys, that was so… When did you have time to... Are you asking me to…"

"We want you to stay," Blaine answers.

"Yeah, please don't leave," Sam agrees.

Tina pauses to wipe her tears away. "I've been thinking about it all week. I love it here so much and I love being around everyone again. It's just that I don't want to run away from my problems at Brown."

"You wouldn't be running away from anything," Blaine corrects her. "You'd be running towards something different."

"Are you sure it's not kind of pathetic? Would it make me like the kid who goes to her first sleepover party but ends up coming home because she misses her mommy?" Tina sniffles.

"It's not like that, though." Sam says emphatically. "Yes, you'd get to be around people who remind you of home. But you'd also get to be doing things that you love in a city that can give you more opportunities than anywhere else in the world. Can you say any of that about Brown?"

"No," Tina responds with certainty.

"So?" Blaine raises his eyebrows expectantly.

"So," Tina says slowly as a smile creeps across her face, "I'm going to finish this semester at Brown and apply to transfer to Columbia in the fall."

The boys swoop in to hug her. Sam calls out, "Ok, you guys can come out now!"

Artie wheels onto the stage as Rachel, Mercedes and Kurt enter the auditorium from all different entrances. They rush towards the stage and join in on the group hug.

"What are you guys doing here?" Tina asks, overwhelmed.

"We're here to celebrate, obviously!" Rachel cheers.

"Yeah, but if you'd needed a little more persuading, we were also here to back these two fools up," Mercedes laughs.

Kurt pulls out a bottle of champagne as Artie hands out glasses.

"Here's to aged bubbly and fresh starts, old friends and new directions," Kurt toasts. Everyone clinks glasses and downs their champagne. The boys start to whistle as Sam picks the guitar back up.

Tina laughs, "I should have known you'd have a song ready for the occasion." The group forms a rotating circle around her.

Kurt fakes a southern drawl.

_Alabama, Arkansas, I do love my ma and pa,  
Not the way that I do love you_

Sam bows the neck of the guitar towards her as he sings.

_Well, holy moly, me-oh-my, You're the apple of my eye,  
Girl, I never loved one like you_

Blaine takes her hands.

_Man, oh, man, you're my best friend, I'll scream it to the nothingness  
There ain't nothin' that I need_

Mercedes wraps one arm around her back.

_Well, hot and heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ  
Ain't nothin' please me more than you_

Everyone grasps hands and moves the circle in closer to Tina.

_Home, let me come home  
Home is wherever I'm with you  
Home, let me come home  
Home is wherever I'm with you_

Tina breaks into the circle, joining hands with Rachel and Mercedes as she sings.

_La, la, la, la, take me home  
Mama, I'm comin' home_

Artie pulls her into his lap for his verse.

_I'll follow you into the park, through the jungle, through the dark  
Girl, I never loved one like you_

Rachel yanks Tina out of Artie's chair and spins with her.

_Moats and boats and waterfalls, alley ways and pay-phone calls  
I've been everywhere with you, _

Tina laughs. "_That's true_."

Kurt and Blaine form a rectangle around Tina with their arms, bouncing her back and forth between their locked wrists as they sing.

_Laugh until we think we'll die, barefoot on a summer night  
Never could be sweeter than with you_

Rachel, Mercedes, and Artie push her out of Kurt and Blaine's arms towards the front of the stage.

_And in the streets you're runnin' free, like it's only you and me  
Geez, you're somethin' to see_

They all stand in a line with Tina at the center, singing out together towards the empty theater.

_Home, let me come home  
Home is wherever I'm with you_

_Home, let me come home  
Home is wherever I'm with you_

_La, la, la, la, take me home  
Daddy, I'm comin' home_

Sam takes Tina's hands in his to parody the spoken word part of the song.

_"Tina?"_

_"Samuel."_

_"Do you remember that night you fell into the choir room window?"_

_"I sure do, you came falling in after me."_

_"Well, you drank some energy drinks and looked hot playing Twister, and we wanted to make out so I rushed you off to the astronomy room. You remember that?_

_"Yes, I do."_

_"Well there's something I never told you about that night."_

_"What didn't you tell me?"_

_"While Blaine was freaking out and you thought that conversation with him would be your last, I was falling deep, deeply in love with you and I never told you until just now."_

_"Awwww!"_

Blaine gives them a funny look, then throws his hands in the air in surrender as everyone joins back in.

_Home, let me come home  
Home is wherever I'm with you_

_Home, let me come home  
Home is when I'm alone with you_

Tina turns to face her friends and sings the rest of the song to them, showing her gratitude without having to speak it.

_Home, let me come home  
Home is wherever I'm with you  
Oh home, yes, I am home  
Home is when I'm alone with you_

_Alabama, Arkansas  
I do love my ma and pa  
Moats and boats and waterfalls  
Alleyways and pay phone calls_

_Home is when I'm alone with you  
Home is when I'm alone with you_

As they gather for yet another group hug, Tina whispers to Sam, "Was that true? What you said in the song?" He winks in a way that doesn't really answer the question, but she decides it doesn't matter what he felt about her back then. All that matters is what she feels now. And she feels like she is home.


End file.
